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County enters Rimoka land agreement

After a two-year wait, Ponoka County council has entered into an agreement to purchase the land for Rimbey’s proposed Rimoka senior
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CAO Charlie Cutforth

After a two-year wait, Ponoka County council has entered into an agreement to purchase the land for Rimbey’s proposed Rimoka senior residences.

“They’re now suddenly quite interested to move and get this agreement done,” said county CAO Charlie Cutforth.

Although it concerned Cutforth the agreement was accepted with the statement that the sellers, if development specifications weren’t properly met, could, at their discretion, transfer ownership of the land back to themselves and keep the county’s purchase price of $330,000 as liquid assets.

“We have strength in the perpetuity clause,” said Coun. Paul McLauchlin, referring to the time limit that was lifted stating development had to be underway within five years.

Before the land is signed over the county must complete swale and roadwork; small projects they aren’t concerned about.

“They’re prepared to execute it (agreement) immediately and then it’s a matter of the subdivision process,” said Cutforth.

Unsightly premises decision

The landowner in an unsightly premises conflict that came to head at the Sept. 3 council meeting is being given until mid-spring to tidy his land, “To organize, not necessarily remove it,” said Cutforth.

Albert Brown has a vast and disorganized assortment of Sea-can trailers, farm machinery, vehicles, modular trailers, scrap metal and oilfield machinery on his property along Elkhorn Road.

Parts of the collection that can be seen from their own property disturb adjacent landowners Gary and Pascale Duff.

Councillors agree Brown’s land is an eyesore but much of that stems from the untidiness rather than the collection. Coun. Paul McLauchlin feels if better organized the collection would become part of the “scenescape.”

Cutforth says giving Brown an appropriate amount of time to tidy his land should produce a result to the council’s liking and he hopes the action will also appease the Duffs.

Discharge of Firearms Bylaw amended

For the first time since its last amendment in 1993, the Discharge of Firearms by-law was amended to include more subdivisions of a high density or high concentration of residences.

Forty-two subdivisions were added to the bylaw’s list where firearms cannot be discharged, excluding members of the RCMP and those with the license and authority under the Department of Lands, Forestry and Wildlife of the Province of Alberta to hunt where problem wildlife are present.

The updated list of subdivisions will be posted on the county’s website, http://www.ponokacounty.com/Home.aspx.

Gull Lake boat launch causes damage

Until the concrete is repaired, boat owners are being warned to use the county’s boat launch on the east side of Gull Lake at Raymond Shores at their own risk.

The north section of the launch is broken under the water, making it difficult to see. Recently a boat trailer hit the jagged concrete slab and sustained $1,100 in damages.

The county was aware of the break prior to the accident and was using barricades to warn people away. “Those barricades promptly went missing. They aren’t even just laying there, they’re missing,” said Cutforth.

“My recommendation is we pay this. We thought we’d addressed the problem but it wasn’t adequate,” he added.

The county’s insurance includes as $1,000 deductible.